Advice please! Going Cross Country with double reins (running gag)

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muffinthemule

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....is it a recipe for disaster?!

Have always avoided using 2 reins XC like the plague - simply for time taken to gather up after a drop or tricky situation BUT the boy is going *touch wood* v well in Nathe running gag and it's great to be able to differentiate between soft check and the (very occasional if required) "please stop b*ggering off with me"!

Should I try to knot off the end of one set so they are shorter....or would it be a good idea to tape both buckle ends together for re-gathering??

Any tips on this gratefully received!
Thanks
 
I just have mine as normal, but feel very at home with two reins - hunt, hack, SJ and XC in double reins.

Have had very little in the way of issues in terms of re gathering reins, but my mare is very genuine, and once locked on to something won't falter.
 
I XC with double reins on a dutch gag, never had a problem but I use double reins quite a lot!

I don't do anything any different but I have two very different set of reins to help with gathering so I know which one I'm hauling on :D
 
I used to and didnt find it a problem even when he was being very green and babyish, now hes back in a snaffle though and I'm not going to complain ;)
 
I've never had any problems with double reins - I hunt all day with them and you just get used to them.

I do put rubber reins as the bradoon and half rubber for the weymouth though, just to make sure:)
 
Thanks guys, good to know others find it fine. Have def found very different reins work best eg rubber on snaffle and continental on gag. Well I guess best thing to do us go for it at BE next weekend!
 
I also do everything in a double bridle as my horse is by far happier in this than anything else. For xc I tape the ends on either side of the buckle and again at the point the rubber starts. (I use rubber reins on bradoon and thin leather ones on weymouth). Touch wood I've never had a major gathering issue!
 
Many years ago when we had the original FC we XC'd in a pelham&double reins as that was all that worked.As others said if you differentiate between the reins it helps to pick them all up.I was the other way round as the rubber rein was the curb rein as needed that most!!

Sometimes I knotted the snaffle rein but found it more hassle than it was worth.

To be fair I felt quite happy with two reins and never had problems gathering up the washing but we did everything in 2 reins so just became second nature.

Will be looking out for the turbo charge mule!!!:)
 
Another person who does most things with two reins on a bevel snaffle. I have found that Irish martingale- ie the little but of leather with a ring on each end which just goes under the neck from rein to rein to be your friend on something likely to balk and give me the possibility of lost knitting.
That and if you use a running martingale, put both reins through the rings.
 
I used to hunt, sj, & xc with two reins, just had rubber grip & rubber lined so its easy to tell them apart if you do need to. Did tape the ends together first time I hunted in them but didn't seem needed so never bothered after.
 
or just use one rein on the gag ring
(controversial perhaps) but the advantage of a running gag is you can vary the contact at will
so can do the gallop stretches and jumps when he's listening on just a light contact
then shorten for a few strides if he gets strong
 
Gosh, I had no idea! Sorry everybody and thanks oldvic. You can tell who only does affiliated jumping! Though I have never felt a change if the bottom goes through or not.

Oh actually, I notice you say curb rein- for clarification would be still ban me from having both my bevel snaffle reins through for example? Neither is a curb rein per se...
 
Llanali said:
Gosh, I had no idea! Sorry everybody and thanks oldvic. You can tell who only does affiliated jumping! Though I have never felt a change if the bottom goes through or not.

Oh actually, I notice you say curb rein- for clarification would be still ban me from having both my bevel snaffle reins through for example? Neither is a curb rein per se...
Click to expand...

No, that would be ok. It's just curb rein.
 
Hi I have always used a set of pony reins on the 'curb' ring so that they are shorter - helps with the knitting, can easily tell which rein is which without having to look and also can drop that rein if ponio puts in one of her huge jumps without worrying about pulling her in the mouth.
 
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